Job Discussion Forums

[zhjarjou]

Hey guys/gals,
I am a 23 year old with a B.A. in Secondary Education (Soc. St./Bio./Gen. Sci.). I have been teaching Science to 9th graders for the past year and must do so for an additional year to complete my part of a scholarship program.

I very much want to live abroad and ESL seems like it might be a good idea. If I do decide to do ESL I will have 2 years of teaching experience, but 0 experience teaching English. I am native speaker of English and have a little knowlege of Spanish. I am a relatively bright young man and a pretty quick learner.

My only hang up is that I am really not very strong in English. I speak and write fairly well but am not very strong when it comes to grammar. I know what an adjective, noun, and a verb are (here is a good example: should it be "are" or "is") but thats about it.
Would certifications like CELTA, TESOL, etc...help me in this area?
If not, are there any English refresher courses that are specifically geared towards teaching ESL?

I am open to any suggestions or advice.
Thanks so much for your time.

p.s. I am open to living ANYWHERE, but I would LOVE to live in Spain(I've heard its tough to do), Japan, or India.

[Chancellor]

[spiral78]

While I recognize the long-term value of Chancellor's suggestion, I respectfully disagree.

I think an MA is most usefully done AFTER one has some experience in the field. The main reason is that the relationship between theory and practice is far more meaningful when one has had some practice

As an American, it's a near-impossible dream to get a work permit for Spain (or most other Western European countries) regardless of your qualifications. Consider other options.

Yes, you would need a basic certification course to start. They would indeed help you a bit with grammar awareness, but even more so, the approaches and methods used in language classrooms are not the same/equivalent to your other teaching training and experience. Some of the worst teachers I've worked with have been those trained and experienced in other fields of education.

A basic newbie course should consist of 120 hours on site, including supervised teaching practice with real students, and feedback from experienced teacher trainers. CELTA, SIT, and Trinity are name brands, but there are some generic programs out there that meet the standards.

Ideally, plan to take a course in the country where you want to start working, if at all possible.

Training in-country offers you a great chance to get your feet wet in the country/culture while you still have a support system � training centres usually arrange for your housing during the course, airport pickup, and local orientation. Your practice teaching students will really be representative of those you�ll be working with when you start. You can be sure that your certification will be recognized by local employers, and a training centre can give you invaluable contacts and advice regarding reputable local employers.

[spiral78]

Go for the MA later on, if you like the job:)

[Glenski]

Come to the Japan forum for specific info. Plenty of helpful people there.

You might want to consider teaching science in an international school first, seeing what English teaching is like with some private lessons on the side, and then deciding if Japan itself is even for you. Living in a foreign land may sound exotic and alluring, but it's not always what it is cracked up to be.

If you are so weak in grammar that you have to question the use of "be" in that sentence, you are very weak and should really consider what you want to do. In Japan, kids get 6 years of grammar in JHS/SHS, geared at passing horrid college entrance exams. Their teachers are Japanese, and the main technique is grammar-translation, which amounts to zip when it comes to teaching them real grammar (and the English term equivalents), and they end up being able to barely say much in conversation at that point, despite having a native speaker in some classes to help out.

Entry level work here is either ALT in a mainstream school, or solo teacher in a conversation school where the atmosphere and goals are entirely different. Learn what those markets are like, and consider whether you'd enjoy being a second-fiddle to the Japanese teacher of English. There's a thread in the Japan forum right now that talks about some ALT experiences, and I suggest you read it.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=70910

[zhjarjou]

to Glenski: I wasn't questioning the use of "be"...I typed "I know what an adjective, noun, and a verb are (here is a good example: should it be "are" or "is") but thats about it."
I was questioning whether the sentence should read ..."an adjective, noun, and a verb is..." or "an adjective, noun, and a verb are...". So should it be "is" or "are"? Also what exactly is an ALT...is it like a training program or something?(that's what it sounds like in that forum you suggested).

to Spiral: yeh I definitely think you are right about waiting to see if I am good at this or even if I like it. You say that I should get the certification in the country in which I want to teach. Where can I get some info on these "training centers" that you are talking about? Do I pretty much just need to save up some money and go to the country or do I apply to the center before hand? Do most countries have these centers?
Again thank you all.

[naturegirl321]

Have you thought about intl schools? With your subject matter and quals, you could get a job there. Better pay and benefits, but more stress.

[zhjarjou]

to nature girl: What exactly is an international school? So I would be able teach one of the subjects that I am certified in? Is it difficult to find a job at an international school? That would make me much more confident in the classroom if I could teach a subject that I am relatively strong in.
I'm definitely gonna look into this.
Thanks a lot!